And then it was 2014...

2013 brought in quite a bit of change, and I anticipate that in 2014 I should be ready for even more. I think like most people I have a love/hate relationship with change. We are all cringe away from unwanted and forced change, the change you can't prepare for and simply want to avoid. Other changes excite us and we long for them to come quickly, even to the point where we wish life away a bit. 
The changes 2013 brought mostly wanted changes. In complete honesty, I needed and wanted to leave Spain. I knew with complete certainty that the life I had there was not what God was calling me to, and it was turning me into someone I didn't want to be. Walking away from Spain was hard, because there were people I loved there and things I had grown comfortable in. But I knew God beckoned me to leave, and I knew it was time to go. 

Moving to Wales was a change I longed for since 2009, when I left Wales after a summer mission. A wanted change which I knew God was ordaining. This change, though challenging because, let's be honest, change - no matter how wanted - is not easy, has been worth it. It's been what I needed. I see in just the few months I've been here, God breaking down some of what formed within me in Spain. I see healing coming, redemption erupting, and passion reviving. God is at work. 



The first Sunday of the new year this verse was shared at church...

"Forget the former things;
    do not dwell on the past.
19 See, I am doing a new thing!
    Now it springs up; do you not perceive it?
I am making a way in the wilderness
    and streams in the wasteland."
Isaiah 43:18-19

It is easy to dwell on the past. To get caught up in the hurt and the things that didn't go quite right. It cripples us in the present, preventing us from fully living out the abundant life we have been promised in Christ. I don't advocate repressing memories or pretending like something didn't happen, because lying to yourself never fixes the issues or restores you. But I don't want to wallow in the past because I know in Christ I am restored and renewed. I want to claim the promise of God that He is doing something new. We cannot even begin to fully comprehend what it is He is doing, but He is doing something. This is my verse for 2014 because I believe that our Father is doing something new, both in my life and here in Tremorfa. 

Tremorfa is not the sought after estate in Cardiff.  It's small, it's rough...echoing in my mind is the question, "What good can come from Tremorfa?" because that is often the impression I get when people find out where Michael and I are planning to do life. But the same thing was said about Nazareth and look who came from there. Jesus opted for the village missing the best reputation. He choose that place, knowing what people thought of this village. Nazareth may not have been a lot of things, but it was where God ordained Jesus to live. It was anointed, and from there a man would come who would change our world.  Tremorfa may not be a lot of stuff. But it is a place I believe to be anointed by God. He has called us to live here, and I believe God has big plans for this estate. 

This week we get mostly back to the weekly routine. Youth club resumes this Thursday evening, and I won't lie about how excited I am and how I want it to hurry up. I can't wait to see and connect with our young people again. Toast and Tots also starts back this week and I am really looking forward to catching up with the mums and grandmas again. In both of these groups, we have witnessed some incredible changes. And claiming the promise that God is doing something new, all of us on the team eagerly anticipate what God has in store this term. 

Girls' Group with our younger teenage girls will start back next week. This group is heavy on my heart and I think it's what I'm most excited about right now. To be honest I should be scared out of my wits because I am fully sure what this group needs to look like this term, but I firmly believe God's hand is on it. I know He is going to give inspiration and creativity to Hannah and I as we lead this group and deepen relationships with these amazing girls. 

Wedding bells will ring for Michael and I in August, and needless to say that's a change I wish would quicken the pace a bit. But there is still lots to do, so for now I'll just savor the planning and prep. I'm excited because we have chosen to get married at our church in Tremorfa. It's never what I imagined for a wedding, but I love that we are committing our lives to each other and committing to the call to do life and be apart of this community in Tremorfa. I want it to be a wedding where the community helps us celebrate as we enter into this covenant of marriage.

And last Thursday Michael and I officially began the house hunt in Tremorfa. After a lot of prayer and consideration we are seeking to buy in Tremorfa. Rent is very high in the estate and there is very little to rent here anyway. After meeting with a  mortgage advisor, we know we will be approved and make less in our house payments than we would in rent. We've seen one house which definitely was not the house we felt God calling us to, and are scheduled to visit five, maybe six, this coming Saturday. We want our home to be a place that God can use to bless this community. I really want a house where we have room for a decent size table, so we can gather people - whether it be youth or friends from the estate - around it to share a meal. I love cooking and I love eating with friends and family, and I also believe there is something sacred about sharing a meal with others. Look at the many times it's noted that Jesus shared a meal with people. I don't think you sit down for a meal with Jesus and leave unchanged. And while we are so far from Jesus, we believe God still uses conversation around a table to bring change. Please join us in praying for God to give us wisdom and discernment about which house He has for us. And please pray that God would give us a house that has room for a table (you'd actually be surprised at the number of houses that don't have sufficient space for a table). 

God is doing big stuff, the Holy Spirit is moving, and Christ is bringing in His upside down kingdom into Tremorfa. Something new is happening in this estate. And something new is happening in your own lives. Wherever you are, wherever God has placed you, there you are to bring His peace, His love. Proclaim that this something new is occurring because of Him. And remember the God who made jalepeños spicy and honey sweet, has made you and loves you. He's creative, and you are His creation.